United Way Sparks Conversation on Health Equity

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette hosted a Community Health Issues Forum on Oct. 8, drawing together a wide range of community leaders and experts in the areas of youth mentoring, prisoner re-entry, and community-based health strategies. The breakout sessions followed Dr. Adewale Troutman's presentation on the importance of focusing on social determinants to advance health equity in all communities. Dr. Troutman is a nationally renowned expert on health equity issues, and has studied the confluence of race and class in impacting health outcomes in underserved communities.

Sharon Gary-Smith, Director at Cascadia Beahvioral Healthcare, led the session on "Mentoring Strategies To Build Strong Communities," which featured panelists Carolyn Becic, Executive Director, Oregon Mentors; Judy Strand, LCSW, Chief Operating Officer, Metropolitan Family Service; Nancy Ochoa, Program Director, Adelante Mujeres; and Gerald Deloney, Director of Program Advancement Self Enhancement, Inc.



Discussing "Rethinking Re-Entry: Pathways Away from Prisons," Jill Fugilister, co-director of the Coalition for a Livable Future served as facilitator. Panelists include Doug Cooper, Assistant Director, Mercy Corps Northwest; Erica Strachan, Loan and Reentry Program Support Officer, Mercy Corps Northwest; David Rogers, Executive Director of Partnership for Safety and Justice; and Debby Dover, Executive Director Second Step Housing.



Tricia Tillman, MPH, Director, Office of Multicultural Health and Services, State of Oregon facilitated the session on "Community-Based Health Strategies: The Promotores Model." Panelists are: Tera Couchman Wick, Program Development Advisor, Village Gardens - Janus Youth Programs; Helen Nash, Program Assistant, Village Gardens - Janus Youth Programs; Holden Leung, MSW, Executive Director, Asian Health and Service Center; and Ann Blaker, Board Member, Bienestar.

The Root 100

The Root, a daily online magazine that provides commentary on today's news from a variety of black perspectives, came out with a list of top 100 African-Americans who are doing the "most good in the world." Edited by renowned race expert Dr. Henry Louis Gates, the Harvard professor who made national news when he was arrested in his own home in Cambridge, Mass. this past summer.

Among those featured include: Joshua Dubois, Director, White House of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Donna Payne, Board Vice President, National Black Justice Coalition; Winston "Wole" Soboyejo, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University; and Rabbi Alyssa Stanton, America's first Black female Rabbi. Click here to see who else made the list.

President Obama Jumpstarts AAPI Initiative

President Barack Obama is re-creating a federal panel to address concerns of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and to work on improving their health, education and economic status.

Excerpts from Obama's remarks at today's signing of the executive order reinstating the White House Advisory Commission and Interagency Working Group:

"Our AAPI communities have roots that span the globe, but they embody a rich diversity, and a story of striving and success that are uniquely American.

But focusing on all of these achievements doesn't tell the whole story, and that's part of why we're here. It's tempting, given the strengths of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, for us to buy into the myth of the "model minority," and to overlook the very real challenges that certain Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are facing: from health disparities like higher rates of diabetes and Hepatitis B; to educational disparities that still exist in some communities -- high dropout rates, low college enrollment rates; to economic disparities -- higher rates of poverty in some communities, and barriers to employment and workplace advancement in others."

Below is the full text of the executive order reinstating the AAPI initiative:

President Obama Restores White House Initiative on Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders

View more documents from Maileen Hamto.

Vital Voices: Lessons Learned from Board Members of Color

As part of its mission to build exceptional nonprofit boards and inspire board service, BoardSource is interested in learning more about the perspectives and experiences of board members of color.

Based in Washington, D.C., BoardSource provides knowledge and resources for nonprofit leaders through workshops, training, assessment tools, an extensive Web site, and a membership program. BoardSource is dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service.

If you are a person of color on the board of a nonprofit organization, please take a few minutes to provide your responses. Click here to go to the survey

By understanding the experiences of board members of color, BoardSource hopes to advance the cause of diversity, inclusion, and social justice in nonprofit boardrooms. The survey will ask you as a person of color to identify recruitment and boardroom experiences and practices that have successfully facilitated your best board experiences.

BoardSource will use the results of this survey to educate the nonprofit sector on the critical need to recruit and retain individuals from diverse backgrounds via our publications, curricula, tools, etc. and will release the survey results later this year. For questions, contact inclusion@boardsource.org.

Garlington Grand Re-Opening

Congratulations to community leaders, organizers, and health advocates who celebrated the re-opening of Cascadia Behavioral Heath's Garlington Center. The center provides mental health and addictions services to low-income folks in North Portland.

The building caught fire in October 2008 and was rendered uninhabitable. Staff and volunteers continued to provide much-needed services in the facility's parking lot while the building was being repaired, said center director Tasha Wheatt-Delancey.

The Garlington Center now shares the building with two new tenants: the North by Northeast Community Health Center and the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center. United Way was honored to be a major sponsor of the center's grand re-opening festivities, held Sept. 11 and 12.

The ribbon-cutting drew community activists, elected officials, as well as business and civic leaders. Thanks to Sharon Gary-Smith, Cascadia's Director of Special Programs, for organizing the wonderful event.

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Businesses on July 29

Verne Naito of Naito Corporation and Peggy Ross of the Governor's Office of Affirmative Action will be the keynote speakers at the kickoff event of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce (APACC) of Oregon and SW Washington.

The event will be held at 5:30pm on Wednesday, July 29 at the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, 619 SW 11th Ave., downtown Portland.

APACC's mission is to cultivate and promote cultural and business relationships among Asian Pacific American chamber members, local businesses, non-profit organizations, government, media, and the general public in Oregon and SW Washington.

Learn about APACC, make new friends and meet prospective clients. Bring a guest, and spend a summer evening networking with a diverse group of Asian Pacific American professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs.

The event will also feature a live performance by Te Marama, Oregon's only all-Tahitian dance studio that brings the "tamarii" (children) to perform "Manu Otea" along with several "aparima" (action songs).

Cost is $10 for members/ $15 for non-members. Dinner included.

Click here to RSVP Today

About the Speakers:

Verne Naito is a vice president of Naito Corporation, parent company of the chain of Made In Oregon stores, and is manager of Naito Properties LLC, a property management and real estate development company.

In his 30-year business career, Mr. Naito has been involved in a diverse number of fields from high tech to banking. Mr. Naito has been active with the Japanese American community his entire life. Mr. Naito with his father, Sam Naito, founded the Asian-American Business Club in 2001. Among his other community and charitable activities, including: board member of the Harvard Business School Association of Oregon, judge for the Oregon Entrepreneur Network annual awards and treasurer of the Japanese Garden, Mr. Naito also sits on the Mayor's Council of Economic Advisors for the City of Portland. He is a frequent speaker at industry associations and lecturer at university business schools.

Peggy C. Ross is the Director for the Governor's Affirmative Action Office. Employed in private sector organizations and as an entrepreneur since 1977, Peggy brings extensive experience promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace. Her primary objective is cultural/climate assessment and training to include diversity, outreach services and business development for large corporations, non-profits and government entities.

As the Governor's Affirmative Action Director she built on 20-plus years as a consultant and expert resource by creating the first statewide, comprehensive Cultural Competency Assessment, Training and Implementation program for all executive state agencies, & building relationships for state agencies with Oregon's nine Federally Recognized Tribes, ethnic communities and organizations, faith based organizations, Historic Black Colleges, women universities, and ethnic Greek Organizations.

Click here to RSVP Today:

Learn more about APACC at http://www.apacc-or.org

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette Hosts Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night

Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night on May 29 brought together diverse artists and performers from various cultural backgrounds. The monthly art show and open mic debuted at the Center for Intercultural Organizing (North Portland) in February.

In May, the show went "on the road" to share the gifts of the region's multicultural community at the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette Community Center in downtown Portland.



Highlights from the performances: